Air Intake

[messerman]

Got a LB7 duramax in 02 gmc 3/4 ton. Want to put a air intake system on it. Anyone have opinions of which one is best and why. Leaning toward K&N or the new Fram Boost. Anyone have one of these on their duramax if so what do you think.

[DmaxMaverick]

Welcome to the Forums!

A couple things come to mind....

Just say NO to Fram!
Friends don't let friends use Fram!

So far, none of the aftermarket intake systems have shown any improvement on dyno tests. That doesn't mean there is no gain, just the dyno runs didn't show it. There could be some gain in real world use, though. Just nothing obvious showing it.

K&N.....
Well, you'll find much debated discussions on filter elements. Oil wetted gauze is not popular with many longevity minded folks. The claims are they allow much higher levels of silicon (dirt) into the oil, increasing engine wear. Any gains you might see surely won't be offset by the possibility of premature engine failure. Both ends of the argument are speculative at best, so it's a gamble left to the consumer.

Search through TDP Advertisers (http://www.thedieselpage.com/vendors/main.htm) for aftermarket options. Lots of possibilities.

Also, have a look HERE (http://www.thedieselpage.com/password.htm) and HERE (http://www.thedieselpage.com/reviews.htm) for some good articles and product reviews.

[messerman]

Thanks, glad to be here. So none of the aftermarket systems show gains at all. They seem to be popular upgrade for diesels. Is there one you recommend besides the k&n. I would like to stay away from the oil wetted if possible because I am looking for longevity. Thanks again for the response.:)

[DmaxMaverick]

Correct. NO noticeable gains with any combination. Doesn't really matter, though. Folks will install them anyway. I did. I won't recommend which is best (actually, there can't be a "best" one, if none do anything). The tests did also show the OEM paper element flowed as well as any aftermarkets.

That said, I will tell you what I have installed.

AFE Magnum Force with an Amsoil cone filter. The element is the newer Amsoil "Nanofiber" construction. The chassis dyno may not have shown any improvement, but my butt dyno did. Quicker spools, quicker boost spikes, and it sounds really cool. Mine may whine a little more than most. I had to remove both layers of inner sheet metal between the filter and the fender to accommodate the filter element. It's quite a bit longer than any of the others, and also has the inverted cone in the end. True or not, I get a warm and fuzzy feeling because the element area is considerably larger. It is shop air cleanable (NO oil). Previously, I had a "swiss-cheesed" OEM box with an Amsoil foam/oil filter. In spite of the felt improvement and sound, I have noticed no change in top end power or economy. This is what I suspect the dyno tests have shown.

Another option you have is upgrading to the 2006+ OEM intake. The filter is cylindrical, and much larger than to previous flat elements. The cost would be about the same, no matter which you go. The rest is all about brand names.